Game



Aug-26, 1941. J. c. KELLY 2,253,787

GAME

Filed Sept. 15, 1938 i,l l 17 lll ny. z.

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4 l INVENTOR. JAMES @KELLY ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME James C. Kelly,St. Paul, Minn..

Application September 15, 1938, Serial No. 230,067

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a game and more particularly to a gameinvolving the use of boards, markers and indicators to simulateconditions encountered by highway oicials and contractors in thebuilding of roads and highways.

An object of the present invention is to make an interesting andinstructive game.

Another object is to make a game involving the use of a playing board,markers, and indicating means to simulate conditions encountered byhighway officials and contractors in the administration and building ofroads and highways.

In order to attain these objects, there is provided, in accordancev withone feature of the invention, la plurality of playing boards, one ofsaid boards comprising a central unit having diiferent rewards, gains,and penalties enumeratedthereon. A pair of rotatable dials of dierentcolors are mounted concentrically with said central board each of saiddials being divided into a plurality of segments each designated with anumber from one to six.

Players boards are provided, one for each of four players, which is themaximum number of players for which the present arrangement is suited.

Indicators which are here shown as a pair of dice of different colorspreferably to match the colors of the dials are also provided, as wellas a quantity of game money, or certificates preferably in units of fromve to iifty thousand.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully brought outin the following description and in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a central common playing board and fourindividual players playing boards of different colors arranged inposition for playing the present game.

Figure 2 is a pair of dice, preferably of different colors, which areused in playing the game,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View on the line 3--3 of Figure 1,and,

Figure 4 is a plan view of iour paper money coupons or certificates of.a type used in playing the game..

Referring to the drawing in detail, a central board I, has a circularportion 2, marked thereon, which is divided up into a plurality ofsegments 3. In the present instance, thisis divided into 36 equalsegmental spaces 3, and in each of these spaces 3, is printed either areward or a penalty such as is indicated in the lower right handquadrantI illustrated.

A disc 4, is pivotally mounted on the board I, concentrically with thecircular portion 2. The outer portion of the disc 4 is divided intosegments 4a of a number equal to the number of segmental divisions 3 inthe circular portion 2, these segments. 4a being adapted to registerWith the segmental spaces 2. The segmental portions 4a on the disc 4 arenumbered successively from one to six, as indicated in the lower righthand quadrant in Figure 1. A second smaller disc 5 is also pivotallymounted concentrically with the disc 4 and is divided into 6 equalsegments as illustrated. These segments each bear a number from one tosix, respectively.

The individual pl-ayers boards 6, 1, 8, and 9, are each of a differentcolor from the others and are each provided with twelve triangularrecesses such as Ill, II, I2, and I3. These recesses are each markedaround the border thereof with the name of a state. There being twelverecesses in each board, and four boards, this gives a total offorty-eight recesses in all four boards or one for each of the States inthe Union.

A plurality of diamond shaped markers I4 are provided and a plurality ofsmaller triangular markers I5 are also provided. The triangular markersare of a size to fit into the spaces left in the triangular recessessuch as the recess I0 when a diamond shaped marker I4 is placed in therecess.

It is necessary that one player act as banker, and to determine whoshall be banker, each player first casts the dice and the playerthrowing the highest number of points becomes the banker and has firstchoice of .the four boards. The player throwing next high total hassecond choice and so on until each player has a board. Two people canplay by means of each player operating two goards, and three can play bypermitting the banker to operate two boards or by throwing the diceagain after the banker has been selected to determine which person willoperate two boards., When four people play the game, each playeroperates one board, and if a fifth person desires to get into the game,that person can act as banker. In this case the players can decideWhether the high total or low total in the initial cast of the diceshall determine the one who shall serve as banker.

After the boards have been allotted and the banker selected as above setforth, the banker loans each player fifty thousand units preferablyusing one 25,000, two 10,000, and one 5,000 cer-. ticates. At the timeeach loan is made, the

banker also issues a loan certificate for 50,000 units to the playermaking a loan, this note being preferably printed in red ink to showthat the player is indebted that amount to the bank. Such a certificatemust be issued with each loan made during the progress of the game, andloans must be made in 50,000 unit amounts as required. Each loan must berepaid to the bank as quickly as possible Iat the rate of 55,000 unitsfor each 50,000 units borrowed. These loans correspond to bond issuesand the 5,000 units extra required in the repayment of the loanrepresents interest and commissions. It will be noted as the game isplayed, it is based upon a pay as. you go theory, since funds may not beinvested in improvements while a player is indebted to the bank.

After the loans and loan certicates have been distributed, each playeragain throws the dice once and the person throwing the highest totalstarts the play. After each players turn, the dice pass to the left andthe play proceeds in sequence.

Doubles are counted as. in any other combination on a point total basisand have no extra value. Each player before throwing the dice ispermitted to adjust the two dials 4 and 5 in any position desired,providing only, that the Segments 4a in the disc 4 are in registry withthe segments 3 in the circular portion 4, and that the segments in thecentral disc are in registry with divisions in the disc 4. Failure ofthe player to properly align the dials before throwing the dice willcause the player to lose thatv throw of the dice. After the dials areadjusted the dice are thrown and must be leftl untouched by all playersuntil the player completes all phases of his play and passes the dice onto the player on his left.

The two dice are of differentcolors, one of them being preferablycolored similar to the background of the central disc 5 which wewillassume for the purpose of the present description, to be red. Wewill assume that the die IBis also red and that the numbers on thisdieI6 are to be read on the central disc 5 while the numbers on the otherdie I1 are to be read on the disc 4.

Having thrown the dice, fthe player locates the number shown on the reddie on disc number 5, each segment of which span-s six segments 4a onthe border of the disc 4. As adjusted in the illustration shown inFigure 1, each segment of the disc 5 includes the numbers one to six inthat sequence. However, if thecentral disc 5 were rotated two segmentsclockwise, from its position illustrated in Figure 1, the numbers of thesegments 4a. would start with three and would have the sequence three,four, five, six, one, two. We will assume for fthe purpose of thepresent illustration that the discs 4 and 5-are adjusted as illustratedand that the red die I6 exposes the number six. This designates thesegment on the central disc 5 bearing the number six. We will assumethat the other die Il exposes the number four. Reading this number onthe border of the disc 4, We see that this is in alignment with segment3, which bears the notation, Draw 20,000. That player would then receive20,000 units from the banker. Let us assume :another combination.Suppose the Idice had turned up a one on the red die I6 and a three onthe other die I1. This, according to the arrangement shown in Figure 1,would have indicated the segment reading Pay diversion fund 10,000.'I'he player would then have had to pay ten thousand units into thediversion fund. By a preliminary adjustment of under :the edge of theplaying board adjacent the the two discs 4 and 5, 'the same numbercombina- 75 tions will result in different winnings or penalties.

IThe diversion fund is a separate fund which is to be kept by the bankerin sight of all players, on one corner of the table. This fund remainsintact until some player throws a combination which will indicate thesegment 3 marked Take diversion fund. The player would then take allfunds in the diversion fund unless the fund might happen to be depletedas at the beginning of a game or just after a previous player had wonthe fund.

All funds and loan certificates held by the Various players must be keptin sight at all times in stacks of like denominations, and the loancerticates must also be kept in sight and separate from other funds. Forconvenience, it is recommended to keep these certicates partly player.

Each player has on the sides of his board 6, six lists of States, asindicated on the right hand players board of Figure 1. These listsarenumbered from one to six by red numerals I8. Each of these six listscontain the names of six States, numbered consecutively from one to sixand an initial indicating the colo-r of the players board on which theState is found. Thus for instance if the board E were green, the namesof all States found on that board would be indicated by the letter G ineach occurrence of that state in the lists I8 of the other three boards.Furthermore, since there are only 36 names of States on each playersboard (six lists of six each) the names of the States designating thetriangles on his own board are not included in the lists I8 on a playersboard, but are included in the lists on each of the other three playersboards. A sample list of States is as follows:

6 (red numeral) 1. Delaware (G) 4. New York (G) 2. Ohio (Y) 5. Virginia(Y) 3. Tennessee (O) 6. Arizona (O) These being on the board of theplayer having the vred board indicate that the names of the Statesindicated will be found on the green (G) yellow (Y), or orange (O)board, as indicated by the initial.

We will now assume, that the player, after having cast the dice andeither collected the winnings or paid the penalty indicated by thenotation in the segment 3 which his throw indicated, then consults thetable of lists on his own board and locates the combination he hasthrown. .The number on the red die I6 indicates the list of States andthe number on the other die I'I indicating the specific State in thatlist. The player must then locate on an opponents board the trianglebearing the name of the State indicated and must pay to the player inwhose board that triangle is located as follows: If the triangle forthat State is empty-5,000 units, if it contains a red triangle-10,000units, if it contains ared 'and a blue triangle 25,000 units, and if itcontains a red and a blue triangle and a silver diamond-50,000 units.

After the player has completed all transactions indicated by the cast ofthe dice as above set forth he may then, if he has sufiicient funds, payoff one or more of his loans from the bank by paying the banker 55,000units for each 50,000A units loaned, and at the same time he returns theloan certificate to the banker. If after having paid all indebtedness,the player has funds remaining, he may invest such funds in improvementsfor his States, by purchasing from the bank as follows: A red triangle,representing right of way and surveys-10,000 units. A blue trianglerepresenting grade construction, etc.- 15,000 units. A silver diamondrepresenting paving and bridges-25,6OO units.

The player must begin the improvement of each State by first purchasinga red triangle. This may be followed by a blue triangle and a silverdiamond in the order noted. The red triangle should preferably be placedtoward the players left, the blue triangle toward the players right andthe silver diamond will then fill the remaining space in the triangulardepression such as the depression lll.

Although each State must be filled in the sequence above listed, it isnot necessary for a player to fill one State before starting on another.vFor instance, he may desire to provide several of the States with redtriangles before providing any of them with blue triangles or he maydesire to ll each State completely before going to the next. These andother features will have a bearing on the final outcome of the game anda players decisions in these matters will usually determine the finaloutcome.

All actions must be made before the player relinquishes the dice to thefollowing player, and even though a player may be in a position to payloans or make purchases by winning on the throws of another player, notransactions can be had with the bank until the player in turn hasthrown the dice and completed all requirements of the play as heretoforedescribed. No player is permitted to borrow from another, so that if aplayer does not have sufiicient funds to make a transaction, he mustfirst borrow from the bank in fty thousand unit quantities, an amountsuflicient to complete the transaction. No investments and improvementsmay be made while a player is in debt for loans, although it is notnecessary, for the player to relinquish any improvements already made inorder to borrow additional funds.

The player who first completes the improvement of all of the States inhis board wins the game.

If it is desired to summarize or score a game, the winning player may beassumed to win from each player the amount which would be necessary forthat player to complete the improvement of his board, plus the repaymentof loans outstanding iigured at 55,000 units for each 50,000

units loaned, less `any credit allowed for funds held in the playerspossession.

The diversion fund reverts to the bank on the winning of a game by aplayer.

The present game, although simple and easily learned, has an inniteamount of variety and although the game may be considered as one ofchance, as far as the throwing of the dice is concerned, the fact thatthe player is permitted to vary the positions of the discs 5 and 4before each play, provides an element of personal predetermination whichaids greatly to the interest of the game. Although it is a game whichrequires no knowledge of highway contracting for full enjoyment,nevertheless those who are familiar with this business, having playedthe game, say that it truly depicts many of the risks and gains of thisfield.

I claim:

1. A game device for use in a game apparatus having a playing fieldadapted for play by a plurality of individual players and, a pair ofdice, one of said dice having a distinguishing characteristic from theother of said dice, said device comprising manually settable determiningmeans including a pair of concentric discs pivoted to the base member,one of said discs being divided in a plurality of numbered segmentsequal to the number of faces on one of said dice, each of the divisionson the face of said discs spanning a plurality of numbered divisions onthe second disc equal to the number of faces on the second of said dice,one of said discs having a characteristic associated with one of saiddice, and a plurality of spaces on said base member associated one witheach of said divisions. on the second disc, each of said spaces bearinga game determining characteristic.

2. A game device for use with a game apparatus having a playing fieldadapted for play by a plurality of players and a pair of dicedistinctively marked with respect t0 each other, said device comprisingmanually settable means having a plurality of spaces thereon, each ofsaid spaces bearing a characteristic associated with a face of one ofsaid dice said manually settable means being mounted on a supportdivided into a plurality of spaces equal in number to the product of thenumber of spaces on said manually settable means multiplied by thenumber of distinctively marked faces of the other of said dice, each ofsaid spaces on said support member bearing a game determiningcharacteristic and having a character referring to a face of the otherof said dice associated therewith.

JAMES C. KELLY.

